Hengling Drum Tower

Hengling Drum Tower

Hengling Drum Tower is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Hengling Drum Tower

It dates back to the Qing Dynasty. Located in Hengling Village, Pingtan Township, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Hunan Province, the Hengling Drum Tower is a typical example of the ingenious “marriage” of drum tower and village gate architectural craftsmanship.

Hengling is a Dong village nestled against mountains and surrounded by water. The village was first established during the Ming Tian Shun era (1457–1464), and it got its name because it is located along an extended, transverse mountain ridge. The village currently preserves four drum towers, two village gates, one covered bridge, two temples, one theater stage, two ancestral halls, and two Sata altars. All the drum towers in the village were built during the middle and late periods of the Qing Dynasty.

The Hengling Drum Tower complex consists of the Small Village Drum Tower, the Central Drum Tower of the Big Village, the Riverbank Drum Tower, and the Riverside Drum Tower, among which the Riverside Drum Tower is the most magnificent. It mainly includes the Nanyue Palace, the Goddess Temple, the Kuanchangping area, the drum tower, as well as the First and Second Village Gates. The Nanyue Palace was built during the Qing Kangxi era (1662–1722), the Goddess Temple was built in the 12th year of Qianlong (1747), the Kuanchangping area was built in the 15th year of Jiaqing (1810), and the drum tower was first constructed in the 5th year of Xianfeng (1855) in the style of a triple-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The First Village Gate was first built in the 3rd year of Tongzhi (1855) in the style of a triple-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The First Village Gate was first built in the 3rd year of Tongzhi (1864), and the Second Village Gate was first built in the 9th year of Guangxu (1883). The first and second village gates use ruyi-style bracket arms extending outward. At the intersection of the eaves where the village gates meet the drum tower, drainage gutters are used to connect them, forming an overall slightly curved architectural structure that showcases distinctive local characteristics and ethnic architectural style.

On May 19, 2002, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Hunan Province, with reference number 101-60.

Source: Overview of Cultural Relics in Hunan